I'm David Wilson, and I am the Clerk of the House of Representatives at Parliament.
What did you study at Otago?
An Honours degree in History first, and then a Masters in History.
Can you tell us about a high point in your career?
Working in this place.
During a day when the House is sitting, I sit down here in the debating chamber at the table and advise the speaker and members about Parliamentary procedure and I keep notes about what's going on.
The chance to work at the heart of political decision making and to play an effective part in our democracy is an absolute highlight.
What useful skills and attributes did you pick up at Otago?
One of the things that I learnt at university, specifically in the Arts field, was that the information that you learn isn't as important as the skills you pick up.
he ability to scan a lot of information, to quickly pull out what is relevant, then to be able to distill that into something that others can read and understand are key skills that you get from a variety of degrees at university.
The ability to speak in public clearly and confidently, which I got by presenting to classes of my peers … it can be nerve-wracking at first, but I think they're outstanding skills to have.
What advice would you give students thinking of studying History?
We hire a lot of new graduates.
Your actual subject isn't the most important thing, but that you've studied something that you really like, performed well at, and that you picked up relevant life experience.
And a favourite memory?
Going to Otago was like being surrounded by a big extended family.
You'd always see people you knew on campus or in the cafes.
Although the University is bigger now, there is still a 'family' feeling to the place.